Grinding Device and Method for Grinding Panel

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a grinding device and a grinding method. The grinding device for grinding a panel includes a grinding belt held between an upper surface and a bottom surface of the panel for grinding both surfaces of the panel simultaneously, a transferring mechanism for transferring the grinding belt and a belt pressing mechanism for pressing the grinding belt on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel. The grinding device and the grinding method in the present invention save manufacturing cost by reducing numbers of grinding belt in a grinding period because it uses one grinding belt to grind the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel at the same time. Furthermore, the grinding belt exerting evenly on the upper and bottom surfaces of the panel in use of one grinding belt enhances flatness of two surfaces of the panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a grinding device and a method for grinding panels, more particularly, to a grinding device and a method for grinding panels in use of a grinding belt.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A liquid crystal display (LCD) with advantages like high definition, better space utilization, lower power consumption and non-radiation, has become the popular display to meet a demand of lightness and slimness.

A display panel as a main instrument of an LCD is a precise electronic device. Take a normal 19-inch display panel for instance, there are millions of pixels on its surface. It is a deteriorated impact on display quality if the surface of the display panel is not flat. As a result, it needs to grind both surfaces of the display panel in manufacturing process to assure some flatness on the surfaces of the display panel.

As FIG. 1 shows, conventionally, it has adopted a pair of upper and bottom grinding mechanism 111, 112 to drive two grinding belts to grind an upper surface 121 and a bottom surface 122 of the display panel 120. Therefore, it needs to replace two grinding belts at one time to squander the belts when the belts are in the expiration. Furthermore, different exerted forces between the grinding belt of the upper grinding mechanism 111 to the upper surface 121 of the display panel 120 and the grinding belt of the bottom grinding mechanism 112 to the bottom surface 122 of the display panel 120 leads to worse flatness of both surfaces of the display panel 120 on account of asynchronous rotations between a plurality of rotor wheels 131 fixed to the upper grinding mechanism 111 and a plurality of rotor wheels 132 fixed to the bottom grinding mechanism 112.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a grinding device for grinding a panel comprises a grinding belt for covering an upper surface and a bottom surface of the panel to grind both surfaces of the panel simultaneously, a transferring mechanism for transferring the grinding belt, and a belt pressing mechanism for pressing the grinding belt on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel.

Furthermore, the belt transferring mechanism comprises four holding wheels, respectively locating at a left and a right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel, for sticking the grinding belt in transferring to the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel, one of the four holding wheels being a driving wheel. The belt transferring mechanism also comprises at least two driven wheel sets, respectively locating at the left and the right sides of the panel, for transferring the grinding belt in company with the holding wheels at the left and the right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel respectively.

Furthermore, the holding wheel of the four holding wheels diagonal to the driving wheel is a driving wheel.

Furthermore, the driven wheel sets comprise one driven wheel propped on a cylinder, and the cylinder tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the one driven wheel.

Furthermore, the driven wheel sets comprise at least two driven wheels respectively propped on two cylinders, and each of the cylinders tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the propped driven wheel.

Furthermore, substance of the driving wheel is pottery.

Furthermore, substance of the driven wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the driven wheel in metal.

Furthermore, substance of the rest of the four holding wheels as non-driving wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the holding wheels in metal.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for grinding a panel comprises: covering an upper surface and a bottom surface of the panel with one grinding belt; transferring the grinding belt through a belt transferring mechanism; pressing the grinding belt to the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel with a belt pressing mechanism for the grinding belt grinding both surfaces of the panel simultaneously.

A grinding device and a method for grinding a panel in the present invention save manufacturing cost by reducing numbers of grinding belt during a grinding period because it uses only one grinding belt to grind the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel at the same time. Furthermore, the grinding belt exerting force evenly on the upper and bottom surfaces of the panel in use of one grinding belt enhances flatness of two surfaces of the panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional grinding device.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional grinding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional grinding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Embodiment 1

As FIG. 2 shows, a grinding device 200 comprises a grinding belt 210, a belt transferring mechanism 220 and a belt pressing mechanism comprising an upper belt pressing mechanism 231 and a bottom belt pressing mechanism 232.

Specifically, it arranges the grinding belt 210 to a gap between the upper belt pressing mechanism 231 and the upper surface 310 of a panel 300 and a gap between the bottom belt pressing mechanism 232 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300 so that the grinding belt 210 covers the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300 before grinding the panel 300. Then the transferring mechanism 220 activates to rotate the grinding belt 210. The upper pressing mechanism 231 and the bottom pressing mechanism 232 are respectively coupled to and move up and down in servo guides 240 to press the grinding belt 210 on the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300 or not to grind both sides of the panel 300. The belt transferring mechanism 220 tightens and rotates the grinding belt 210 so that the grinding belt 210 grinds the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300 simultaneously while the upper belt pressing mechanism 231 and the bottom belt pressing mechanism 232 press the grinding belt 210 on the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300. And then the upper belt pressing mechanism 231 and the bottom belt pressing mechanism 232 take away from the panel 300 in control of the servo guides 240 after the end of grind. The grinding belt 210 keeps tightly in the operation of the belt transferring mechanism 220 in the whole process.

The above-mentioned functions according to the embodiment are accomplished by the belt transferring mechanism 220 comprising a plurality of rotor wheels. In particular, the belt transferring mechanism 220 comprises four holding wheels 221, 222, 223, 224 and four driven wheels 225, 226, 227, 228. The first holding wheel 221 and the second holding wheel 222 are respectively fixed to the left and right side of the upper pressing mechanism 231, and the third holding wheel 223 and the fourth holding wheel 224 are respectively fixed to the left and right side of the bottom pressing mechanism 232. The first holding wheel 221 is opposite to the third holding wheel 223, and the second holding wheel 222 is opposite to the fourth holding wheel 224. In other words, the four holding wheels 221, 222, 223, 224 are respectively at the two sides of the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300. Furthermore, it sets up any two of the four holding wheels 221, 222, 223, 224 as driving wheel which rotates automatically by installed skid devices, like electric motors, to drive the rest of holding wheels and four driven wheels to rotate the grinding belt 210. It is preferred to set up the fourth holding wheel 224 and the first holding wheel 221 diagonal across the fourth holding wheel 224 as driving wheels so that the belt transferring mechanism 220 has sufficient transferring power to drive the grinding belt 210. Therefore, the grinding belt 210 is capable of rotating at even pace to grind the upper surface 310 and the bottom surface 320 of the panel 300 with uniform force.

In addition, the four driven wheels 225, 226, 227, 228 are separated into two sets. In the embodiment, the first driven wheel 225 and the second driven wheel 226 form the first driven wheel set locating at the left side of the panel 300, and the third driven wheel 227 and the fourth driven wheel 228 form the second driven wheel set locating at the right side of the panel 300. The four driven wheels 225, 226, 227, 228 are respectively controlled by one cylinder 250 and move in the stroke direction of the cylinder 250.

Each driven wheel tightens the grinding belt 210 through adjustment of the cylinder 250 when the driving wheels, e.g. the fourth holding wheel 224 and the first holding wheel 221, drive the rest of the holding wheels (the second holding wheel 222 and the third holding wheel 223) and four driven wheels to rotate. An operator is capable of moving each driven wheel to the panel 300 to sag the grinding belt 210 by adjusting each cylinder 250 to manually replace the grinding belt 210.

Besides that, it is capable of setting up any one of the four holding wheels 221, 222, 223, 224 as driving wheel which rotates automatically by installed skid devices, like electric motors, driving the rest of holding wheels and four driven wheels to rotate the grinding belt 210 in the present invention.

Substance of the first holding wheel 221 and the fourth holding wheel 224 as driving wheel in application is pottery. It enhances safety to avoid accidents from leak of installed skid devices because pottery is insulator. Substance of the rest of the holding wheels as non-driving wheels and driven wheels according to the embodiment is metal, and rubber covers the metal to increase friction force between the holding wheels as non-driving wheel, driven wheels and the grinding belt 210 because the rotating force of the grinding belt 210 is provided by the friction force from the rest of holding wheels as non-driving wheel and the driven wheels.

Embodiment 2

Another preferable embodiment as FIG. 3 shows, what is different from FIG. 2 is that the above-mentioned first driven wheel set is able to comprise one driven wheel 229 a whose diameter is longer than thickness of the panel 300 to have the same effect with the first driven wheel set. In the same way, the above-mentioned second driven wheel set is able to comprise one driven wheel 229 b whose diameter is longer than thickness of the panel 300 to have the same effect with the second driven wheel set.

In sum, it saves manufacturing cost by reducing numbers of grinding belt in a grinding period because it uses one grinding belt to grind the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel at the same time. Furthermore, the grinding belt exerting force evenly on the upper and bottom surfaces of the panel in use of one grinding belt enhances flatness of two surfaces of the panel.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A grinding device for grinding a panel comprising: a grinding belt for covering an upper surface and a bottom surface of the panel to grind both surfaces of the panel simultaneously; a transferring mechanism for transferring the grinding belt; and a belt pressing mechanism for pressing the grinding belt on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel.
 2. The grinding device of claim 1, wherein the belt transferring mechanism comprises: four holding wheels, respectively locating at a left and a right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel, for sticking the grinding belt in transferring to the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel, one of the four holding wheels being a driving wheel; at least two driven wheel sets, respectively locating at the left and the right sides of the panel, for transferring the grinding belt in company with the holding wheels at the left and the right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel respectively.
 3. The grinding device of claim 2, wherein the holding wheel of the four holding wheels diagonal to the driving wheel is a driving wheel.
 4. The grinding device of claim 2, wherein the driven wheel sets comprise one driven wheel propped on a cylinder, and the cylinder tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the one driven wheel.
 5. The grinding device of claim 2, wherein the driven wheel sets comprise at least two driven wheels respectively propped on two cylinders, and each of the cylinders tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the propped driven wheel.
 6. The grinding device of claim 2, wherein substance of the driving wheel is pottery.
 7. The grinding device of claim 3, wherein substance of the driving wheel is pottery.
 8. The grinding device of claim 4, wherein substance of the driven wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the driven wheel in metal.
 9. The grinding device of claim 5, wherein substance of the driven wheels is metal, and rubber covers outside of the driven wheels in metal.
 10. The grinding device of claim 3, wherein substance of the rest of the four holding wheels as non-driving wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the holding wheels in metal.
 11. A method for grinding a panel comprising: covering an upper surface and a bottom surface of the panel with one grinding belt; transferring the grinding belt through a belt transferring mechanism; pressing the grinding belt to the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel with a belt pressing mechanism for the grinding belt grinding both surfaces of the panel simultaneously.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the belt transferring mechanism comprises: four holding wheels, respectively locating at a left and a right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel, for sticking the grinding belt in transferring to the upper surface and the bottom surface of the panel, one of the four holding wheels being a driving wheel; at least two driven wheel sets, respectively locating at the left and the right sides of the panel, for transferring the grinding belt in company with the holding wheels at the left and the right sides of the upper and the bottom surfaces of the panel respectively.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the holding wheel of the four holding wheels diagonal to the driving wheel is a driving wheel.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the driven wheel sets comprise one driven wheel propped on a cylinder, and the cylinder tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the one driven wheel.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the driven wheel sets comprise at least two driven wheels respectively propped on two cylinders, and each of the cylinders tightens or sags the grinding belt by controlling movement of the propped driven wheel.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein substance of the driving wheel is pottery.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein substance of the driving wheel is pottery.
 18. The method of claim 14, wherein substance of the driven wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the driven wheel in metal.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein substance of the driven wheels is metal, and rubber covers outside of the driven wheels in metal.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein substance of the rest of the four holding wheels as non-driving wheel is metal, and rubber covers outside of the holding wheels in metal. 